Renowned Geneticist Dr. Mary-Claire King Speaks on Hereditary Cancer and Genetic Testing at Morehouse School of Medicine
Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) welcomed renowned human geneticist Mary-Claire King, Ph.D., and Color Genomics Co-Founder and CEO, Elad Gil, Ph.D., to speak about the latest in cancer research and treatment on Nov. 4.
Titled "Advancing Health Equity: Your Genes & Cancer," the program was held at the Louis W. Sullivan National Center for Primary Care and on the heels of a report about increased breast cancer death rates among black women in Atlanta.
During her keynote address, King—known for discovering the infamous "breast cancer gene" BRCA1—called for all women to get tested for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations starting at age 30.
MSM President and Dean Valerie Montgomery Rice, M.D., moderated the event, which also included panelist Dr. Derrick Beech, professor of surgery and MSM Senior Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs, and a personal story and plea for women to make use of Color Genomics's genetic testing from breast cancer survivor Carla Holloway. "After I got informed and understood what I was up against, I felt empowered," Holloway said on stage.
"In order for us to beat this disease it has to be about prevention, and if it’s not about prevention it's got to be about earlier diagnosis and detection such that we can combat all the morbidities that are associated with this disease," Rice said. "It’s not just about access, it's about reallocation and distribution of resources."
Missed the event? Visit this link to watch the full "Advancing Health Equity: Your Genes & Cancer" program.
Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) Health Equity Cancer Care Center
MSM's Health Equity Cancer Care Center is dedicated to providing the best care for cancer patients and discovering new ways
to combat the deadly disease. Watch the video below to learn more about MSM's Health
Equity Cancer Care Center and the advancements being made in cancer prevention research.
